The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-22
Letting an Historical Cat Out of the
Bag.

Bag.
The Maryland campaign has been
one of the most interesting in the
history of political campaigns in this
country. Apart from its importance
it has presented many features to en-
gage the attention of the curious.
The best element of Democrats has
joined the Republicans to redeem the
city of Baltimore and the State from
the Infamous rule of the German
machine.
The Independent Democrats in
clude among their number not only
some of the best blood in Maryland
a State in which blood counts for
something-bu a large number of
eX-COnfederates as well, and this is
another factor that counts. Colonel
Charles Marshall, an officer of dis.
tinctiOn who stood very close to Lee,
is one of the leaders of the Indepen-
dent Democratic forces. Col. Marsh
all says it is of more moment that the
Republicans are to-day fighting for
the thing nearest his heart than that
quarter of century ago they were
on one side and he on another.
The ring Democrats have made
such point of war issues that Re.
publlcans and Independents have re-
minded them that they supported
the Union General Mcclellan for the
Presidency when their wounds were
still gaping. This is, of course a
figure of speech, for the men who are
now appealing TO the passions of
'61-'65 are not the men who smelt
the powder. The controversy on the
stump and in the press brings from
the Baltimore Sun this remarkable
revelation of secret political history,
the interest of which is not bounded
by the limits of the State of Mary
land.
The part taken by General Nc
Clellan in the arrest of the MARYLAND
Legislature in 1861 was perfectly well
known in 1864, when he was placed
upon the Democratic Presidential
ticket with George II. Pendleton. 1t
was not only known but it was keenly
resented by every Democrat in the
State. But the times had changed
very materially, and questions of eX-
pediency were forced upon the con-
slderatiOn of the few Democrats to
whom the election franchise still re.
manned. Mcclellan had been made
the football of the Administration,
and was no longer a tool to do their
dirty work, even if he had been in
1861, The Confederate cause was
known to be waning, and when
members of the Democratic Central
Committee reported the disatfection
of the party toward Mcclellan, and
the unWillingneSS of voters to touch
him for the very reason that he had
participated in an infamous outrage
upon the State, the answer came, and
came from Richmond, unless we are
greatly mistaken, that the South
wanted some one to give them terms,
and that the Democratic party would
deal very differently with them from
the Lincoln Administration. 1t was
then the Democratic party of Mary
land yielded its resentment towards
the candidate in the hope and for the
purpose of aiding its suffering friends
south of the Potomac. This is liter
ally true, and no one ought to knOW
it better than Colonel Marshall him.
self; and yet he had the audacity to
| stand before Republican meeting
and tWit the Democratic party for its
action in supporting Mcclellan.
The Sun is likely to be well in
formed on this matter. During the
war its sympathies were with the
Confederacy, it was one of the news
papers within the Union lines relied
on by the Confederate authorities to
give to their cause all the aid and |
comfort in their power, and it was |
cheek by jowl with the hot-heads |
who never got hot enough to go to
the front, but remained in Baltimore
to shoot in the rear. Therefore when
the St0a says that the Democratic
party in Maryland was induced by
word from Richmond to support
Mcclellan, there is every reason to
accept with absolute confidence the
statement which seems to be made
without any sense of shame.
If Democrats in Maryland were in
duced by the Richmond authorities
to support Mcclellan as a Confederate
move, it is not great stretch of the
imagination to suppose that Demo- ,
Gratis in other States also had word ,
from the Democratic headquarters,
then conveniently located in Rich
mond. This is one of the cases in ,
which further comment would seem Z
to be unnecessary. p Wheeling Intel {
Gigencer. s